Analysis of IP practice, AI technology and international protection, alongside news from IPLEX. Explore the articles in English.
336 articles and updates
106 articles
The registered mark consists of “SOLO.” Cited mark 1 combines “SOLOTEC” with a flag-like graphic passing through the upper center of its fourth letter, “O.” The graphic and different number of letters distinguish the marks visually.
Read articleClass 25: jackets, short coats, safari jackets, dress shirts, T-shirts, cotton trousers, socks, leather shoes and hats.
Read articleClass 18: leather key cases, wallets not made of precious metal, briefcases, travel bags and handbags.
Read articleThe applied-for mark combines Korean “Anbeullin” with cursive Latin lettering. The cited mark places mixed-case printed lettering below a ribbon graphic. Their appearances differ, and a conceptual comparison is not available because one is coined and the other combines a Western personal name with a graphic.
Read articleThe registered mark combines the Korean name Cheokju Donghaebi with the Chinese characters “陟州東海碑”, arranged vertically. The cited mark combines a graphic with a smaller Korean rendering of that name. They differ markedly in their graphics, Chinese characters and the size of the Korean lettering, so their appearances…
Read articleThe applied-for service mark joins the outer end of an “@” symbol to the beginning of a handwritten “i”, and combines that graphic with “NET”. Cited service mark 1 combines a graphic with “INET”, including a dot between “I” and “NET” and a stylized “N”…
Read articleThe graphic and word elements of each mark are not so inseparably connected that separate assessment would be unnatural. Nor does their combination create a new concept. The elements can therefore be considered separately when comparing the marks.
Read articleA foreign-language mark is generally assessed by the pronunciation readily used by Korean traders and consumers. Where they actually recognize and pronounce the mark in a particular way, that usage must be considered.
Read articleA composite mark need not always be pronounced or understood in its entirety. Where its elements are separable, an independently distinctive element may determine how the mark is referred to or understood; more than one such reading may be possible.
Read articleSimilarity requires an objective assessment of appearance, sound and meaning, considering the marks as a whole and as encountered separately in trade. The question is whether consumers may confuse their commercial origin; similarity in one aspect must be assessed in the overall context.
Read articleA composite word mark is generally assessed by the appearance, sound and meaning of the wording as a whole. An independently distinctive element may also be relevant where consumers can recognize it as indicating origin.
Read articleA service mark distinguishes the source of services and helps prevent confusion. Because this function is ordinarily performed by the mark as a whole, the comparison considers its overall appearance, sound and meaning.
Read article